At this moment, Kobe was dumbfounded.
He looked up at Qin Yue, unable to believe that Qin Yue would greet him with such an aggressive opening...
What left him even more speechless was that he didn’t even know how to refute Qin Yue.
After a long silence, Kobe’s eyes began to sharpen: "What are you trying to say?"
In response, Qin Yue shrugged and said, "I’m just expressing my true thoughts about you attending today’s game."
Narrowing his eyes at Qin Yue, after a cold snort, Kobe said, "Do you think your words make you seem unique? In my eyes, you’re no different from those people."
Based on Kobe’s recent experiences, Qin Yue could roughly guess who Kobe was referring to.
But Qin Yue felt that Kobe still misunderstood him, so looking directly into Kobe’s sharp eyes, Qin Yue said, "Unique? Are you talking about yourself?
The poor guy in the Lakers with no teammates willing to talk to him?"
After the Eagle County incident erupted, with the Los Angeles media eagerly reporting everything about Kobe, it was no secret that Kobe was isolated within the Lakers.
In Kobe’s eyes, unless Qin Yue was a hater, why would he care so much about his scandals?
Kobe didn’t want to continue this conversation.
Just like when he recently blocked Shelley Smith.
He never liked explaining, especially to his haters.
"Let’s just say I wasn’t here today," Kobe said impatiently.
Qin Yue shook his head and said, "But you are here, and I’m sure the news of you watching the game at Wake Forest tomorrow will be the headline across various media outlets."
Looking once again at Qin Yue, Kobe noticed that this young Asian face had a completely different personality from his compatriot Yao Ming.
Yao Ming spoke with elegance and would take care of the conversation partner.
Could you fucking not bring up what’s most sensitive?
"So... have I been deprived of the right to watch college basketball games?" Kobe sneered.
Qin Yue continued to shake his head, saying, "You definitely have the right to watch college basketball games, but I also have the right to criticize you."
On the sidelines, Kobe was once again dumbfounded by Qin Yue’s words.
So you’re here just to roast me?
At this moment, feeling that arguing with a young player was beneath him, Kobe said, "Everyone has the right to criticize others, but some matters... it’s better not to jump to conclusions before you know the truth."
Looking at Kobe, Qin Yue felt once again that Kobe misunderstood him.
"What truth? Do you think I care about the so-called truth of the Eagle County incident?
No, I don’t care at all, nor am I curious about how you’re planning to restore your public image next.
The reason I want to roast you has nothing to do with the Eagle County incident, it’s just that in my eyes, you’re not worthy of being called a man," Qin Yue said, finally getting the chance to vent to Kobe in person.
After the Eagle County incident, Skip Jackson, who was on good terms with Kobe, said that Kobe’s mistake was due to not having friends who could speak the truth or advise him when needed.
But in Qin Yue’s view, this was utter nonsense.
Because at this time, Kobe was already 26 years old, not 18.
"Why am I not worthy of being called a man?" Kobe sneered.
"That’s a question you can ask yourself, someone who always chooses to escape... how do you resemble a man?" Qin Yue retorted.
Since the outbreak of the Eagle County incident, Kobe’s way of solving problems seemed just like a mess in Qin Yue’s eyes.
In panic, he recklessly mentioned in a police report that Shaq had encountered something similar.
As this statement was disclosed to the media by the police, Kobe not only severely damaged the atmosphere within the Lakers but also completely lost the support of his teammates.
Following that, to help Kobe with public relations, Vanessa attended all the press conferences related to the Eagle County incident and various related occasions.
Although Kobe later compensated Vanessa with a diamond ring worth four million US dollars, his subsequent isolation and refusal to communicate led the media to directly target Vanessa.
As for on the court, it’s even worse...
In the 04/05 season, despite initially leading the Lakers to a 14-11 start, soon after, Kobe, transformed into a pressure cooker, completely crushed the entire Lakers with his omnipresent turbocharging.
In February 2005, the exhausted Lakers head coach at the time, Tomjanovich, would resign due to the overwhelming stress.
"Kobe’s endless high standards and demands on everyone ultimately broke him." Garciduenas would reveal the inside story of Coach Tang’s resignation many years later.
This was the true Kobe of the 04/05 season.
If one had to describe it in one sentence, it would be:
— Everyone criticized it.
That day, repeatedly rendered speechless by Qin Yue, Kobe’s hands wouldn’t stop trembling even when he walked out of the stadium.
Kupchek called Kobe immediately, "So? Did Qin make a strong impression on you?"
In response, an utterly bewildered Kobe almost fainted.
"His skills are genuine... barring any surprises, he will definitely be next year’s top draft pick." Forcing down the frustration bubbling up in his chest, Kobe objectively and rationally evaluated.